tailieunhanh - MEDICINES AND ANTIBIOTICS CHAPTER 2

A major element of personalized medicine involves the identification of therapeutic regimes that are safe and effective for specific patients. This contrasts the “one-size- fits-all” well-known concept of “blockbuster” drugs, which are considered safe and effective for the entire population. The concept of targeted patient groups falls in- between these two extremes with the identification of therapeutic regimes targeted to be safe and effective for specific patient groups with similar characteristics [1]. A num- ber of factors have contributed to a decline in the emphasis of blockbuster therapeutics and a corresponding rise in the quest for tailored therapeutics or personalized medi- cine. Essential to the realization of personalized. | 1 CHAPTER 2 MEDICINES AND ANTIBIOTICS Figure 1. Bryophytes and other herbs on sale in a Chinese market. Photo by Eric Harris. New Medical Sources One of the reasons for exploring biological compounds in bryophytes is the potential for medical use. It s a scary thought but substances we know as pesticides and fungicides that discourage insect feeding and bacterial or fungal attack are likely to have antibiotic properties that could prove useful in treating human disease. We know bryophytes contain numerous potentially useful compounds including oligosaccharides polysaccharides sugar alcohols amino acids fatty acids aliphatic compounds phenylquinones and aromatic and phenolic substances but much work remains to link medical effects with specific bryophyte species or compounds Pant Tewari 1990 . For this reason traditional uses named here should be viewed with caution because we don t know the dosage needed side effects or other precautions that need to be taken. We do know that traditional medicines that may be safe for one race of people may not be for others. After all those alive today are descendents of survivors. Herbal Medicines Not surprisingly herbal medicines of China Figure 1 India and Native Americans include bryophytes. Native Americans have used them for drugs fibers and clothing University of Michigan Dearborn 2003 . The Doctrine of Signatures based on the concept that God provided visual cues through the characteristics of the plants highly developed during the European Renaissance has dictated the use of a variety of bryophytes especially liverworts in herbal medicine. Liver Ailments The most widely known use of bryophytes determined by its appearance is that of Marchantia polymorpha Figure 2 to treat liver and other ailments the surface suggests the cross section of liver Miller Miller 1979 . In China it is still used to treat the jaundice of hepatitis and as an external cure to reduce inflammation Hu 1987 and has gained the reputation of cooling and